Afghan and Iranian Private Sector Sign 28 Deals Worth $451.8 Million
A trade forum titled “Business Contacts Between Afghanistan and Iran,” held in Kabul on the sidelines of the fifth Abu Hanifa National and International Exhibition, saw the signing of 28 economic memorandums of understanding between private sector actors from the two countries, with a total value of $451.8 million.
According to information presented at the meeting, the agreements cover energy, industry, mining, agriculture and joint investment, and economic officials from both sides also stressed the expansion of trade and industrial cooperation.
Representatives of the chambers of commerce of Afghanistan and Iran said in the programme that Afghanistan’s production and mineral potential, alongside Iran’s industrial capacity, could pave the way for joint and long-term projects. At the same time, financial, banking and monetary transaction challenges were raised as a serious obstacle to the development of trade between Kabul and Tehran.
Economic actors warned that if these barriers are not removed, the newly signed memorandums may remain no more than “agreements on paper” and never reach the stage of practical implementation.
Meanwhile, reports indicate an increase in the presence of Iranian economic delegations at this year’s Abu Hanifa exhibition compared with previous years, a development seen as a sign of Tehran’s growing interest in expanding economic ties with Afghanistan.
Iranian officials at the meeting stressed that Iran does not see Afghanistan only as a “consumer market”; instead, joint investment, industrial cooperation and the export of technical and engineering services should become the focus of the new economic relationship.
Some economic experts believe the signing of these memorandums could open a new path for increasing trade and strengthening investment cooperation between Kabul and Tehran, especially at a time when Afghanistan’s transit problems along southern routes have made the need for alternative options more pronounced.
